By Gabriel Princewill-
A convicted money-launderer has emerged victorious in a press complaints case against three sister titles owned by Reach plc – the Liverpool Echo, Lancs Live, and Manchester Evening News.
Britain’s Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) ruled in favor of Rais Kayani, (pictured) who had raised objections against inaccurate claims made by the publications regarding his involvement in securing Covid grants by pretending to represent a bakery chain.
The controversy stemmed from articles published by the Reach titles, which falsely alleged that Kayani had impersonated Greggs- a well known bakery chain- to obtain small business grants through a relief scheme amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rais Kayani had pleaded guilty to entering into a money laundering arrangement after he accepted money from false applications sent to a number of councils, including St Helens, Thurrock and Rochdale
Genuine business rate account numbers were used to support false applications for rate grants which were awarded by the local authority.
Despite being unable to identify who submitted the applicants, an investigation found that payments were all transferred to the bank account of a company owned by 31-year-old Kayani.
These stories, solely published online, were based on a Crown Prosecution Service press release characterizing Kayani as a “fraudster” seeking to exploit taxpayer funds.
However, the release also acknowledged that investigators were unable to identify the individuals behind the fraudulent applications.
In his complaint lodged under Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editors’
Culpability
Code of Practice, Kayani argued that the headlines and content of the articles implied his sole culpability in the criminal activity, despite his guilty plea being related to a money laundering offense, not fraud or theft.
He contended that the publications misrepresented his role and failed to accurately portray the basis of his conviction.
While Reach plc maintained that it had acted in good faith by relying on the information provided in the press release, IPSO found that the references to Greggs were inaccurate and constituted a breach of journalistic standards.
The committee concluded that the publications had not exercised sufficient diligence in verifying the accuracy of their reporting, particularly regarding Kayani’s purported impersonation of Greggs.
IPSO concluded that the initial dissemination of false information constituted a violation of Clause 1 (i) of the Editors’ Code of Practice.
This ruling shows the importance of upholding accuracy and integrity in journalism, especially when reporting on matters involving criminal allegations and legal proceedings.
Due Diligence
While the media plays a crucial role in informing the public, it is imperative that news organizations exercise due diligence in verifying facts and avoiding the dissemination of misleading or distorted information.
The outcome of this complaint confirms the importance of maintaining the highest standards of journalistic ethics remains paramount to fostering public trust and accountability.
It is somewhat embarrassing for a convicted money launderer to succeed in a complaint against any segment of the British press, but more important ofcourse is that accountability in every situation is occurs, and is seen to occur.